Here's a little more information about what the Cultural Council's arts education programs are all about:
We believe that the arts are an essential component of a complete education for every child. We are committed to providing quality visual, performing, and literary arts opportunities, that are both equitable and sustainable, for the youth of Santa Cruz County.
We envision a community where all children are inspired by professional teaching artists who nurture their self-confidence and their development of skills needed for 21st century success, such as creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration.
The Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County believes that all students deserve a well-rounded education that meets state standards in dance, music, theatre and visual arts. In fact, arts education is mandated in our State Education Code for students in grades 1-12, and there is an increasing number of scientific studies quantifying the success of incorporating arts learning in school curriculum.
Despite the evidence that the arts are a valuable component of all children's education, many schools simply do not have the resources to provide quality, sequential, standards based education in the arts. For the past thirty years arts education in California’s schools has been disappearing at an alarming rate. The state’s recent fiscal crisis has resulted in still more dramatic cuts to visual and performing arts education programs.
